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Jenny Sugar knew that starting her CrossFit journey was going to be a struggle. It would take dedication and determination to get up every morning at 4:50 a.m. for five days a week to go to class, eat clean, and weather the soreness that came with her fitness journey.
She figured, though, that seeing her slow but steady gains would help her get through the challenges and emerge triumphant on the other side.
Three months later, Sugar suddenly found herself quitting.
She was, in her own words, “pissed.”
In spite of Sugar’s hard work, there was very little progress to show for all the time, effort, and energy she’d been putting in.
“My body wasn't getting close to where I wanted it to be. I still had my baby belly, and I actually gained weight and my muscles grew. I was thicker all around, and even my sports bras were feeling tighter,” she griped.
For a while, Sugar debated quitting CrossFit for good because she was so frustrated.
It took the words of both her husband and a close friend to convince her not to give up at just the three-month mark. She may not have looked much different, but they could tell Sugar was more energetic and confident after she’d begun working out diligently and regularly.
As it turns out, Sugar’s lack of visible progress is something many women experience on their fitness journeys.
When Sugar complained, “I've gained weight, everything has gotten bigger, including my butt, and my jeans are tighter,” all of these women replied that they’d noticed the same changes in their bodies – but they loved what their larger, stronger bodies could do.
It was this mindset that ultimately convinced Sugar to throw herself back into her CrossFit workouts with new determination.
As a 40-year-old mother of two kids, Sugar has now come to look at her body with a sense of pride. She’s been able to accomplish so much with her body already, and now she’s learning to accomplish even more.
Although Sugar admits her body is still not where she wants it to be, she’s learned to love her body and appreciate it for all that it’s enabled her to do.
